Agenda item

To receive an update on Charlotte Sharman and St. Mary Magdalene pupils from Alasdair Smith, Director of Children’s Services.

The commission received a report and verbal update from Neil Gordon- Orr, Assistant Director for Education Access (Children and Adult Services), on the closure of Charlotte Sharman Foundation Primary School and St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School in August 2025, in the context of falling primary school rolls across Southwark and London.

Context and process

• Both schools closed after a lengthy, statutory process involving consultation and decision stages over approximately one year.
• Southwark, commonly in the many London boroughs, has experienced a significant decline in births and primary pupil numbers over the last decade, with London Councils recently publishing analysis showing similar pressures elsewhere.
• Across Southwark, eight primary schools have closed in the past five years, some through closure and some via amalgamation with other schools.

 Impact on pupils and parental choice

• The council recognises that school closure is disruptive for parents and pupils, and that as soon as closure becomes a realistic possibility some families seek to move their children early for certainty.
• To support families at Charlotte Sharman and St Mary Magdalene:
  • A dedicated admissions officer was assigned to each school to advise parents and help secure new places.
  • Open days were organised at neighbouring schools, many of which had vacancies and were keen to take additional pupils.
  • A preference exercise was run, similar to the normal admissions process. Of the 34 families who took part:
    • 26 secured their first?preference school
    • 5 secured their second?preference school
    • Only a small number did not obtain one of their top preferences and were supported to consider other options.
• The council provided £50 school uniform vouchers to each child moving school as a contribution towards uniform costs.

Special educational needs and vulnerable pupils

• Particular attention was paid to pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) or additional vulnerabilities:
  • EHCPs were reviewed to ensure new placements could meet their needs.
  • Sending and receiving schools worked together on transition planning, including sharing strategies and information and ensuring files transferred correctly.

Staffing

• Members asked about the impact on staff, including teachers, teaching assistants, administrative staff, catering and crossing staff.
• Officers noted that while teachers might find it relatively straightforward to secure alternative employment due to national shortages, detailed data on individual staff outcomes were not available at the meeting and would need to be checked separately.

The commission explored the future use and ownership of the former school sites:

• Charlotte Sharman Foundation Primary School
  • As a foundation school, the land and buildings belong to the school’s foundation (governing body).
  • On closure, the governing body is disbanded and the future of the site is determined by the Secretary of State for Education. In many cases, assets revert to the local authority, but this is subject to a formal decision.
  • A decision on the Charlotte Sharman site is still awaited.
• St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School
  • The land and buildings are owned by a church?related trust linked to the parish in Bermondsey, rather than directly by the Diocesan Board of Education.
  • The church is responsible for determining the future use of the site, but the council is in active discussion with church partners about possible educational or SEND?related uses.
• Officers emphasised that ownership arrangements are often complex, with mixed local authority and foundation/diocesan ownership, and that one learning from recent closures is the need to map site ownership and legal constraints early in any process.

Wider demographic trends and future risk

• Officers advised that although the sharp decline in births appears to be levelling off, there is no indication of a return to previous higher levels. Smaller cohorts are moving through primary and will increasingly affect secondary intakes.
• The commission noted that South Bank University Academy is consulting on a proposal to cease Year 7 admissions over time and operate only as a sixth?form, due to falling numbers. As an academy, this decision lies with the Department for Education.
• There are no current proposals for further primary closures in Southwark, but the underlying demographic challenge remains.

Housing and temporary accommodation

• Members raised concerns that families in temporary accommodation placed outside the borough or moved long distances may be contributing to falling rolls and attendance pressures at some schools.
• Officers acknowledged that housing issues impact individual families and schools but suggested the primary driver of falling rolls is the sustained reduction in births and wider trends in family size.

Keeping Education Strong and lessons learned

• Officers explained that the Keeping Education Strong strategy has provided a borough?wide framework to manage falling rolls through:
  • Reductions in Published Admission Numbers (PANs)
  • Amalgamations
  • Closures as a last resort.
• The commission heard that this has helped to protect the viability of remaining schools by reducing overcapacity and competition for pupils.
• Lessons identified from recent closures included:
  • The importance of assigning a dedicated admissions caseworker early.
  • Starting planning early for complex SEND cases, even before final closure decisions, while managing the risk of destabilising schools.
  • Early work to clarify land and asset ownership.

The commission noted the update and did not propose additional formal recommendations at this stage, but agreed that these lessons should continue to inform any future decisions on school organisation.